Danny Welbeck has signed a new four year contract keeping him at the club until at least 2016. With the signings of Robin Van Persie and Angelo Henriquez, it’s great that United have shown their faith with a local lad.

Born in Longsight, Welbeck is a local lad and while the signings of top talent such as Van Persie are great, giving academy graduates chances in the team is what makes United so special.

Danny Welbeck’s progress since his debut against Stoke has been tremendous, he managed to become our second choice striker last season, debunking Hernandez and Berbatov from the team.

This season looks set to be a big challenge for Welbeck, with the recent acquisitions. However, time is on Welbeck’s side at the age of 21 and we’re all hopeful he can become a great player for United.

Some of Danny Welbeck’s best work:

]]>https://ryandunny.wordpress.com/2012/08/22/welbeck-signs-on/feed/0ryandunnyImageEverton vs United: Reviewhttps://ryandunny.wordpress.com/2012/08/21/everton-vs-united-review/
https://ryandunny.wordpress.com/2012/08/21/everton-vs-united-review/#respondTue, 21 Aug 2012 14:01:03 +0000http://we-are-united.com/?p=1161]]>It had to happen didn’t it? After all the talk about United’s incredible firepower, people forgot that there was still a game to be played against Everton.

Marouane Fellaini’s solitary goal was the difference between the two sides. Fellaini proved to be a thorn in United’s side. United just couldn’t deal with his aerial prowess and Jelavic, Osman and Pienaar all benefitted from Fellaini’s knockdowns.

It didn’t help that United had two midfielders – Michael Carrick and Antonio Valencia – in their back four. However, Everton’s hard work and long balls would have troubled many teams and to try and blame defeat due to injuries would be doing Everton an injustice. Everton’s back four of Hibbert, Jagielka, Distin and Baines defended staunchly.

It was a night where most United balls seemed to be just a small bit over or under-hit. For all United’s possession they struggled to create clear cut chances. Rooney in particular, was woeful, his touch was often heavy and he looked unfit. Bright parts of play frequently came to a halt at his feet. Rooney often the creator in part became a destroyer.

United’s creativity flowed through debutant Shinji Kagawa who was very impressive. Kagawa managed a 91% passing rate as he floated around the field effortlessly. His most impressive moment came in the second half when right in front of Tim Howard he saw the opportunity to pass to Cleverley who looked destined to score. Unfortunately a goal line clearance from Jagielka prevented an equalizer. Kagawa’s performance, however, is surely a sign of things to come. He looks set to become a permanent fixture in the team.

Another player who impressed was David de Gea. David pulled off several saves that kept Everton at bay and had no hope with the eventual goal. Pundits will lazily describe his performance as a coming off age after a rocky debut season. However, de Gea has been excellent since early February. How Jamie Redknapp can still be unconvinced by de Gea is shocking.

There is positives to take out of this defeat. However, it is disappointing and alarming that twice United have been bullied by Fellaini. United have twice made Fellaini look like a world beater. The space and time he was allowed can’t be afforded in future games. Why Michael Carrick was stuck marking Marouane Fellaini for the corner and not Nemanja Vidic is a mystery.

Yet, United should not dwell on this defeat. Performances will improve and players will return from injury. There’s still 37 games left to go in what’s looking to be another exciting season in the Premier League.

Also, didn’t Van Persie look great in a United shirt?

]]>https://ryandunny.wordpress.com/2012/08/21/everton-vs-united-review/feed/0ryandunnyMF25KagawaRVPHere We Go…https://ryandunny.wordpress.com/2012/08/20/here-we-go/
https://ryandunny.wordpress.com/2012/08/20/here-we-go/#respondMon, 20 Aug 2012 17:17:04 +0000http://we-are-united.com/?p=1158]]>Football is finally back. Watching everyone else kick-off Saturday and yesterday was a pain, but United are back playing and want title number 20.

Speaking of number 20, a very frustrating summer provided an almighty shock. Rumors that United are interested in Robin Van Persie have been circulating for months. However, no one really believed that Van Persie would or could be signed by United, such has been Arsenal’s reluctance to sell to United in the past. With City’s superior spending powers, I felt it was an impossibility.

Knowing better, nothing is ever impossible with United and the acquisition of Van Persie has shocked United fans around the globe. It’s got one or two excited as well.

The pessimist can’t help but, question the transfer. How will Van Persie fit into our system? Will he and Rooney be able to co-exist? What does this mean to Javier Hernandez and Danny Welbeck? Surely a central midfielder was much more of a priority?. What will become of Dimitar Berbatov and Federico Macheda?

People point at the success United had in the treble season with four strikers. However, its been documented that Sheringham was concerned with the lack of playing time during the season. Similar concerns are bound to re-occur this season. At an age where players seem to be more and more impatient, this could be problematic.

Yet, the prospect of Van Persie and Rooney hitting off a partnership is just too alluring. If these two incredible gifted and intelligent players hit it off, then we’re in for tons of excitement.

And hasn’t excitement been at a low in the last few seasons? United have replaced fluidity with functionality. The toothless performance away at the Etihad last April will live long in the memory of all associated with United. The decision to play Ji-Sung Park for the first time in two months in a game of such magnitude surely haunts Sir Alex.

The signing of Shinji Kagawa has been overshadowed, but the image of Kagawa roaming with intent behind the likes of Rooney and Van Persie is one to cause grown men to drool.

Kagawa is the type of player United fans have wanted for a while now. The success of David Silva, Luka Modric and Juan Mata have left us crying out for a player of similar mould. Failed attempts at signing Ozil, Nasri and Hazard have left us deflated and cursing the regime of the Glazers. If Shinji Kagawa can transport his performances from Germany where he managed 17 goals last season, over to England then United will have another special player at their disposal.

Despite the exciting arrivals, fans will still bemoan the lack of a central midfielder. Nick Powell, an undoubted talent, is still far away from the first team. Tom Cleverley will once again be forced to deal with ridiculous expectations, but if he can stay fit then United will have a technically gifted player in midfield. If he can re-ignite his dynamic relationship with Anderson, or form an understanding with Michael Carrick, then maybe United’s midfield will be much more then simply adequate.

A trip to Goodison Park is going to be a tough test for United’s new boys. However, with the firepower and attacking intent United now possess, it’s difficult not to be excited.

The memory of the infamous 4-4 at Old Trafford last season will surely be in the minds of the United players. That capitulation cost United a twentieth league title and Rooney and co. will be desperate to set it right this season, starting tonight.

To quote our new signing – Let’s do this.

]]>https://ryandunny.wordpress.com/2012/08/20/here-we-go/feed/0ryandunnyRVPKagawaManchester United and New York – Reactionhttps://ryandunny.wordpress.com/2012/07/07/manchester-united-and-new-york-reaction/
https://ryandunny.wordpress.com/2012/07/07/manchester-united-and-new-york-reaction/#respondSat, 07 Jul 2012 08:59:38 +0000http://we-are-united.com/2012/07/07/manchester-united-and-new-york-reaction/]]>So its finally come to this. After years of being told that the debt isn’t a problem and we can still compete in the market by Sir Alex and David Gill, the truth has finally come out. It’s something that we all have known and whilst they would not dare admit it in public, both Sir Alex and Gill have known it as well – the debt is hampering our progress.

I couldn’t tell you anything about what this stock flotation means for our club and how it works (there’ll be a link for that at the end of the page), but for anyone who wants to know how it feels to have your club run by the Glazers, you’ve come to the right place.

The last few years have been frustrating. Since we lost to Barcelona in 2009, we’ve been crying out for a world class midfielder. Yet, all we hear back is about the lack of value in the market. So instead of Ozil, we got Bebe; instead of Benzema, we got Owen; instead of Ribery, we got Obertan. We’ve also missed out on David Villa, Wesley Sneijder, Samir Nasri, Eden Hazard and probable Luka Modric. We’ve often come close, or paid the required fee for these players, but wages have killed us. Samir Nasri agreed to sign for us before City came in with a higher wage packet. Did anyone not find it odd that Eden Hazard chose Chelsea over us, even though they didn’t have a named manager at the time?

The game has moved on. World class players want high wages they feel they deserve along with a credible chance of winning silverware. Robin Van Persie wants to leave Arsenal – despite Arsenal sticking with him throughout his numerous injuries – and you can’t blame him. Can Arsenal offer him the wage and chance to win silverware as Manchester City can? Unfortunately not. To dig our heels in and remain ‘old school’ is ignorant and stubborn, and we will see our club go obsolete. Whilst we shouldn’t bend ourselves over the table for players, we should allow leeway and not be too stingy to not offer a high wage. It’s not every player’s dream to play for Manchester United.

Not to say we haven’t signed any good players over the last few years. David de Gea, Antonio Valencia, Javier Hernandez, Phil Jones, Chris Smalling and Ashley Young have all been good signings. You won’t hear anyone complain about Valencia getting the number seven shirt and that’s a testament to his ability. Shinji Kagawa also looks set to be another astute buy.

However, the lack of world class players is worrying. Wayne Rooney and Nemanja Vidic are the only two indisputable world class players we have. Whilst I’ll argue that Nani is in that bracket, others will disagree. We have a lot of potentially world class players, with de Gea, Jones, Smalling, da Silva, Welbeck and Cleverley have all showed fantastic potential thus far, but we all know that they might not all progress into world class talent. Just look at Anderson.

It’s sad and depressing that the biggest club in football can’t go out and spend big. However, therein lies our problem. We are the biggest club in football. Manchester United is famous throughout the world, we’re not only a football club, but we’re also a brand. The Glazers have been using the brand Manchester United, showing little interest in the football side of the club. You can’t argue that their not shrewd businessmen, they have done a lot to increase the commercial revenue the club takes in. The fact that they’re hopeful in putting the club on the New York stock exchange, with a view of not paying any dividends or losing any of their voting rights and raising millions of dollars to pay of their debts is incredible. However, someone has to take the short end of the stick and that’s where we come in, the fans.

Ticket prices since the Glazer’s have come in have risen, we’ve failed to sign many top class players and we’ve been subjected to constant mocking by opposition fans due to our debt. If it wasn’t for Sir Alex Ferguson, we would be fucked. We have no control. We can try protest and boycott season tickets, but I guarantee someone else would take them. That’s the problem with a club this big. The economically downturn means that buying season tickets and boycotting the games is not an option either.

What the Glazer’s have failed to realize is that we fans have an emotional attachment to the club, every season we go through a smorgasbord of emotions in the hope of winning trophies and seeing great football. People were devastated after we finished second to City this season, do you think people would be devastated if Google finished below Yahoo? No they wouldn’t. People would just switch their search engines if they believed Yahoo became better than Google. Fans can’t switch though (proper fans anyway), once we follow a club, there’s no changing our mind or turning back.

The Glazers have been a curse to the club. Weighing us down for seven years and unfortunately for more years to come. Some argue that at least they stay out of the way and let the manager get on with his job and this is partially true. But, aren’t the lack of transfer funds and available wages affecting the manager’s job?

We don’t want our club to be taken over by a ‘sugar daddy’ and become like City. All we want is the debt gone, our club run by people who care for it and it’s fans and that the fans can have some input into the workings of the club. What we don’t want is our club to be relocated to the Cayman Islands in the hope of raising money to pay off a huge debt.

Unfortunately though, that’s what we have to deal with.

Here’s an article that goes through the financial side of all this and its hopefully positive effects:

]]>https://ryandunny.wordpress.com/2012/07/07/manchester-united-and-new-york-reaction/feed/0ryandunnyWhy I Love Danny Welbeckhttps://ryandunny.wordpress.com/2012/07/02/why-i-love-danny-welbeck/
https://ryandunny.wordpress.com/2012/07/02/why-i-love-danny-welbeck/#respondMon, 02 Jul 2012 22:45:42 +0000http://we-are-united.com/?p=1115]]>I love Danny Welbeck. I love how he’s a homegrown player, he’s dorky celebration and the fact that he wears the number 19. While I’ve been bracing myself for Dimitar Berbatov to leave the club, Danny has eased the pain.

However, it wasn’t love at first sight. Two years ago I wrote an article evaluating United’s young players and their futures and this is what I said on Welbeck:

Like his Italian team-mate this guy started with a bang with ‘that’ cracking goal against Stoke. He has impressed in his recent appearances in the FA and League cup games since. However he will be loaned out to a premiership team this season to get some more first team action. To be honest I don’t think he’ll make it at Old Trafford. He’s quick and tall but I don’t believe he has what it takes to make it at Manchester United.

Not only is my assessment cringeworthy, but my writing is pretty galling too.

When he went out on loan I didn’t expect him to have great success. Despite having a major part demolishing Chelsea at Stamford Bridge, I still had my doubts. However, I remember the moment when those doubts began to erode.

Sunderland were away to Arsenal and Danny Welbeck was just coming back from injury. Arsenal were still in the title picture and Sunderland were defending well, but provided no offense. Around the 70 minute mark Danny Welbeck comes off the bench. He looks much bigger and stronger than he used to be and manages to produce an impressive shot within minutes of coming on. I was very impressed.

Unfortunately, injuries kept Danny out of the team for the rest of the season. Yet, in his limited amount of appearances he had done well and I was looking forward to him getting a chance at United.

He’s performances in pre-season really got me excited, I was Scholes’ testimonial and I remember thinking “we’ve a player here”. Danny managed to score Old Trafford’s first goal of the season against Tottenham and he just flew off from their. It’s a testament to his progress that he was trusted as the lone striker away at Anfield. He ended the season with a respectable 12 goals in 40 games.

However, there is much more to Danny’s game than goals. He is a willing runner, but he is not just a workhorse. He has great pace, can score brilliant goals and has a bit of flair about him. Does he sometimes overdo the flicks? Yes. Should he improve in front of goal? Yes. However, Danny is still 21 and will improve. He went of to the Euro’s and did well for a rubbish English team. In doing so he became the first player to go to a tournament with England and play well.

Sarcasm aside, I expect Danny Welbeck to have a great career for United and England.

The future is bright. The future is red.

]]>https://ryandunny.wordpress.com/2012/07/02/why-i-love-danny-welbeck/feed/0ryandunnyWhat’s Going On?https://ryandunny.wordpress.com/2012/06/02/whats-going-on/
https://ryandunny.wordpress.com/2012/06/02/whats-going-on/#respondSat, 02 Jun 2012 00:33:45 +0000http://we-are-united.com/?p=1097]]>Whisper of rumors have been circulating that Nani could be sold for the right price this summer, with the winger yet having signed a new contract extension. Nani himself said:

“I have had five seasons at Manchester United and have won all the titles.

Now I am really happy, but I don’t know about my future.

Now I will study opportunities. Football is not only about England or Spain. It is possible to enjoy success in other countries.

My agent is waiting on news about United. We have presented a counter-offer and now we are waiting on an offer from the club.”

To quote WWE superstar ‘The Miz’ but, ‘really?’ Two seasons ago Nani was our players’ player of the year and was outstanding in the first of last season. There was a stage around December where every goal had Nani involved in it. As of the 31st of December 2011, Nani had six goals and seven assists to the five goals and eight assists the much praised David Silva had acquired in the same number of games (18).

Nani added another two goals and three assists in a further seven starts as he struggled with injury for the rest of the season.

So why doesn’t he have a new contract yet? And why do some people not seem so bothered about Nani potentially leaving?

Nani has had his critics from day one. Many lazily have described him as a ‘Ronaldo’ wannabe. While both players are Portuguese, graduates from Sporting Lisbon’s academy and former United players, that’s where the similarities end.

Cristiano Ronaldo is a phenomenon. He is just the perfect attacking player, he is a machine. He has everything and will go down as one of the greatest United players ever.

Nani on the other hand is more of a natural winger. He does look to pass the ball and whip in crosses. However, he is not Antonio Valencia. He will roam around and take shots, but last season he really improved on his decision making. While it still isn’t perfect and people jump on that. He’s too inconsistent some say, which is absolute rubbish. To brand him that today is again lazy and reverting back to old perceptions.

Nani is a big game player. In his first season he scored against Tottenham, Arsenal and Liverpool, also scoring a crucial penalty in the Champions League final. In his second season he really struggled to get into the team and had little involvement in the crunch games. Third season he tore apart Arsenal, Milan in the second leg, Bayern Munich in the second leg, set up a goal against Chelsea and scored a crucial chip against Tottenham all during the second half of the season. In his fourth season he scored and assisted against Manchester City, assisted against Arsenal and assisted against Chelsea. Last season, he scored two against Manchester City, scored against Arsenal and scored against Chelsea. He also got an important goal in the Everton game, although United blew it that is. These goals and assists are just based on memory, there may be more moments where Nani scored or assisted against the big teams or in big games that I can’t recall. But, for such a so-called ‘inconsistent’ player, that is a good record.

We’ve been rumored to spend big bucks this summer. We look set to sign Shinji Kagawa from Borussia Dortmund for £12 million pounds, Nick Powell looks set to be on the way from Crewe, Leighton Baines is rumored to come in at £12-15 million and after missing out on Eden Hazard it’s rumored that we will now pursuit Luka Modric. Is this why Nani may be sold, to help sign these other players?

If so this another case of ‘glazernomics’. It’s shocking that a club that brings in so much money can’t even afford to go mad with the cheque book. People say that it’s not United style, but what about when we signed Veron and Van Nistelrooy in the same summer? Unfortunately, prices for players have gone up and we have to deal with that. No one is saying go crazy and spend silly money on above average players, but just everyone one in while pay that little bit extra to get that star player. We can’t keep relying on Scholes and Giggs and finding gems like Javier Hernandez. The last few summers we’ve missed out on Benzema, Villa, Ozil, Sneijder and now Hazard. Couple the fact that we missed out on signing David Silva and Yaya Toure and it’s a worrying trend. Do players not want to join United anymore?

It annoys me when I see people with this ‘if he doesn’t want to sign, fuck him’ attitude. I remember last summer people were giving out about de Gea when he seemed like he was unsure about moving. It’s a ridiculous attitude. Not everyone, despite what Man United’s ‘research’ shows, supports Manchester United. Imagine this situation you’re working for a company in England and two bigger companies come looking to hire you. You have no emotional attachment to either company. One company is full of history and has a magnificent facilities, but pays you less and is riddled with debt. While the other company may not have much of a glorious history it is on the way up, has a nice stadium and tones of cash and big plans for the future. Who do you join? Personally I would be stumped.

So to rip into players for not making their minds up quickly enough or not picking our club is a horrible vision to have. Be more open minded, these players are people too.

Who ever we sign this summer, if we don’t keep Nani it’s a case of one one step forwards two steps back. We should be keeping and adding on to our world class talent, because a lot of the squad at the moment are not world class players. That’s why we got embarrassed in the Champions and Europa league this season.

I’m going to leave you with this video.

Admit it. If Nani was playing for another team, linked to be going to us and you saw this video you’d be screaming for Fergie to sign him up.

]]>https://ryandunny.wordpress.com/2012/06/02/whats-going-on/feed/0ryandunnyReasons To Be Positivehttps://ryandunny.wordpress.com/2012/05/13/reasons-to-be-positive/
https://ryandunny.wordpress.com/2012/05/13/reasons-to-be-positive/#respondSun, 13 May 2012 22:45:28 +0000http://we-are-united.com/?p=1065]]>Nobody gave United a chance this morning. Personally I thought we’d struggle to even beat Sunderland, never mind what happened at the City – QPR game. To lose it the way we did was agonizing. It’s being so close to glory that makes it so painful. All the abuse, criticism and stick we’ve gotten this season and when it came down to it, we were a couple of minutes from winning the league. City’s millions and they could only beat us on goal difference. Although, there is the small fact that we did blow an eight point league. That reckless performance against Everton was the pivotal moment in the season and our lads blew it.

But, you have to take the good with the bad. It’s moments like this that make successful campaigns that much sweeter. We mightn’t have won a trophy for the first time since 2005, but there is a lot to take away from this campaign.

David de Gea – Proving The Critics Wrong

I was at the Community Shield game and the minute City scored their second goal I knew the press would be after de Gea. They were, and the David didn’t do himself any favors the following week when he made a clanger against Shane Long. However, the criticism was over the top. For Patrick Barclary to say de Gea was “Heurelho Gomes without the shot-stopping ability” summed up the idiotic attitude the English press had. They had seen the trouble Sir Alex had replacing Peter Schmeichel and rubbed their hands at the chance to lay in de Gea failing to replace Edwin van der Sar. It was ridiculous.

David did have a few clangers, but that was expected. People are quick to forget that these lads are just like us, they make mistakes. David was adapting to new team mates and a new culture. When he finally got a regular center back pairing in front of him he flourished. That save against Chelsea in the last minute was probably the turning point. Since then he has been outstanding and hearing that he was visible upset after today is encouraging. David is going to be a fantastic keeper for us for a number of years, maybe it’s a bit too idealistic to say for his entire career, but he’ll pick up plenty of medals.

Johnny Evans and Michael Carrick – Much Needed Resurgence

Everyone forgets that Johnny Evans was brilliant in his first few seasons with United. He had a horrendous campaign last year, but he proved people wrong this season. Many people, including myself, expected Evans to fall to the bottom of the pecking order after the signing of Phil Jones. But, Evans dug his heels in when he got the chance. I’ve been impressed by his ball playing ability. I always thought Johnny was great at tackling and blocking, but he has showed a new dimension to his game. That pass against Villa a few weeks ago was Scholesque. Filling in for Nemanja Vidic is difficult, such is Nemanja’s brilliant standards, but Evans did a great job. Unfortunately he like de Gea, ended up without a trophy.

More of the same next season Johnny.

Michael Carrick has been our most consistent player all season. It took him an age to get into the team, but once he did like Evans he dug his heels. He broke his goalscoring duck with a few superb efforts against QPR and Bolton. It’s been small changes to his game that have made the world of difference. Where as before he would immediately give it back to the full back or defender that passed it to him, now he is turning and looking for a forward pass. He still does the shielding role very well and I thought he was the only player to turn in a decent performance at the Etihad. The crowd can still get frustrated with him, but I’ve noticed a change in attitude from most fans. Great to see.

Danny Welbeck and Tom Cleverley

United used the loan system astutely last season and Welbeck and Cleverley benefited greatly. Both started the season on fire and combined for United’s first Old Trafford goal this season. They ripped Tottenham and Arsenal apart, but unfortunately for Cleverley he would suffer a frustrating year with injuries. He’s fleeting appearances this season though have given everyone room for optimism.

Welbeck on the other hand has divided opinion. Personally, I think he’s brilliant. He’s quick, hardworking, strong, skillful and has an eye for the spectacular. He is not a poacher like Hernandez, but to finish his first real season with United roughly a one in three average is not bad at all. Rooney seems to enjoy playing with him and even noted that he thought Welbeck was our player of the season.

I don’t agree with that, but I think he deserves massive credit. I didn’t fancy Welbeck a few years ago and I’ve had a completely change in opinion of the striker. His goal against City was one of my favorites of the season. He has room to improve, but I wish people would be more patient with him. It’s great to see a Manchester lad fulfilling his dream.

We’ll Spend in The Summer and Vidic will be back

Sir Alex was at the German cup final yesterday to watch Shinji Kagawa of Borussia Dortmund. For him to travel to see this game a day before the final game of the season is a clear sign of intent. Kagawa managed a goal and assist in what probable will be his next manager. After losing the title, Sir Alex will know that he has to spend and get a few players. Expect some early transfer activity from us.

Vidic only played six league games all season. Imagine if Kompany played only six games? Would City be champions right now? Not a chance. But, these things happen and you have to deal with them and we nearly won it without our skipper and in my opinion best player. Vidic will miss pre-season, but should be back for the start of the season. It will be great to see him back in the United shirt. He’ll be keen to win the trophy back.

This Will Drive Us On

Winning the league is great. But, it’s the pain of defeat that players say they remember the most. The players will probably have a terrible summer, knowing they lost the league to our neighbors. But they’ll come back hungrier and more determined to win the league. Winning it is one thing, retaining it is another.

Congratulations to City. But we’ll be back.

]]>https://ryandunny.wordpress.com/2012/05/13/reasons-to-be-positive/feed/0ryandunnyHang On To Your Seatshttps://ryandunny.wordpress.com/2012/04/13/hang-on-to-your-seats/
https://ryandunny.wordpress.com/2012/04/13/hang-on-to-your-seats/#commentsFri, 13 Apr 2012 20:10:15 +0000http://we-are-united.com/?p=1038]]>Last Sunday United went eights point clear at the top of the table after United beat QPR and City lost to Arsenal. Everyone wrote City off, United were going to win their 20th league title.

Did you really think it would be that easy? I was uneasy before the Wigan game. United had not lost in the league since Newcastle away and had a perfect record against Wigan. Wigan were on a good run of form and were robbed against Chelsea. They’d be up for the game.

United lost 1-0. They were poor and fatigued. Paul Scholes was missed. Hernandez barely touched the ball, Valencia didn’t use his pace and power, Giggs was woeful and Young and Rooney were ineffective. United did liven up when Welbeck, Cleverley and Nani came on but the difference was palpable.

United should have had a couple of penalties and the corner Wigan scored from was not a corner but, United have had luck in recent weeks so their is no point in complaining. Pundits and opposition will still claim that the big clubs get all the decisions, but that’s the dangers of perception, it hides away from the truth.

United are five points ahead with five games remaining. But, that game at the Ethihad is a major factor. Lose that and the difference will be down to two points with two games remaining. United wouldn’t want to be going to Sunderland on the last game of the season needing something, especially with Martin O’ Neil now in charge.

But that only happens if United win their other games. While there all at home, Everton, Villa and Swansea should not be taken lightly. United have failed to beat Basel, Benfica, Manchester City, Crystal Palace, Ajax, Bilbao, Blackburn and Newcastle all at home this season. Five of those teams have been victorious. The imperious form of last season is gone.

In United’s favor is a wealth of experience, Ryan Giggs, Paul Scholes, Rio Ferdinand, Michael Carrick, Patrice Evra, Wayne Rooney and Sir Alex all have a plethora of medals from past campaigns. They’ll know how to get things done. But, the inexperience of David de Gea, Phil Jones, Tom Cleverley, Danny Welbeck and Ashley Young should be taken into account. All it takes is one slip.

There has been an air of uncertainty with this United team. They’ve been polarizing in their form this season. From trouncing Arsenal 8-2 to losing to City 1-6 it’s been a season to remember. They’ve been embarrassed in Europe this season and lessons for this side in transition will have to be learned.

And they will be learned, Sir Alex will make sure of that. But, it will take character to keep their nerve from now to the rest of the season. If they manage it, not only will it be a big milestone for the team especially for the newcomers, but it will ensure that those noisy neighbors will be kept quiet for another season.

Make sure you’re in good health, because the next month is going to be nerve wracking. United never make it easy. Believe.

]]>https://ryandunny.wordpress.com/2012/04/13/hang-on-to-your-seats/feed/2ryandunnyImageHow is Evra the Antagonist?https://ryandunny.wordpress.com/2012/02/11/how-is-evra-the-antagonist/
https://ryandunny.wordpress.com/2012/02/11/how-is-evra-the-antagonist/#respondSat, 11 Feb 2012 23:58:35 +0000http://we-are-united.com/?p=925]]>I’m fucking angry. I should be elated. Our lads have just beaten Liverpool, in a very convincing manner I might add, contrary to the 2-1 scoreline. But I’m angry at the abuse Patrice Evra has gotten in the last few months. He’s been labelled as the boy who cried wolf. It’s absolutely diabolical.

Every since the incident, Liverpool have been quick to jump to their player’s aid. They have defended him to death, breaking the silence both clubs agreed on before the hearing. Then they brought out those disgraceful t-shirts before their game against Wigan.

They’ve been adament that Suarez is innocent. Then why in the name of god, did they not appeal the ban? Don’t give me that bullshit excuse that they feared he’d get a further ban. If you believe that you are right, then why not go out full guns blazing? Suarez is going to be labelled a racist for the rest of his career, rightly or wrongly, so why not do everything in their power to clear his name? Football isn’t bigger than life.

They didn’t appeal and when Suarez did come back, King Fucking Kenny had the audacisty to claim he never should have been banned. And the sickening thing is people have been jumping on Evra’s back.

“Oh, what happens on the pitch stays on the pitch”. Fucking bullshit. We’re no longer a bunch of caveman who are fascinated by the sight of fire. It’s 2012, surely we’re more intelligent then to live by that motto. What’s the point of having this massive anti-racism campaign if people in the game moan about people complaining about racism? I was at Stamford Bridge last week and Rio Ferdinand was booed by Chelsea supporters. Why? Because he defended his brother Anton, who John Terry is suspected of racially abusing.

And this excuse about what he said was friendly in his native country. More fucking bullshit. Suarez lives in England, he should learn what’s right and wrong in England. “Evra has played the race card before”. Again, bullshit. He hasn’t. It wasn’t him who claimed he has been racially abused. Actually learn your facts before you talk.

Now there’s a video on YouTube trying to decipher whether it was Suarez or Evra who snubbed the handshake. Well Evra tries grab his hand to shake it, and so does de Gea. If Evra did intially back out, why didn’t Suarez shake his hand then?

And if Evra did snub Suarez (he didn’t, anyone watching MOTD would have seen that), who could have blamed him? Yes he said he came into the game wanting to shake his hand. But, maybe when he saw Suarez’s face again he remembered what Suarez said to him. How he’s been turned into the antagonist in this situation. Would I shake the hand of a man who said hurtful things towards me? I doubt it. Would you?

Suarez has been proven guilty. He even apologized for it, even though he didn’t apologize to Evra. I don’t believe the man is racist, not for a second. I do understand at the heat of battle things can be said, that you don’t mean. But, at least have the decency to apologize for it. People make mistakes. But, if you don’t try rectify these mistakes, then Suarez you deserve all the boo’s you get.

Look at articles with comments and the opportunity to ‘like’ or ‘dislike’ these comments. Any comment attacking Evra is substantially high up. Even on most YouTube videos the top comments are against Evra. A friend of mine, who is black, said he wanted Liverpool and Suarez to win because he hated Evra.

Patrice isn’t a saint. He did lead the mutiny at the World Cup for France. He can say things that upsets other clubs (Arsenal). But, we’ve never claimed him to been a saint. But that doesn’t mean he deserves to be abused. He wasn’t trying to wild up the crowd at Old Trafford, he was delighted that he got one over the man who abused him and the fans who have been calling him a lying bastards. It was obvious he wanted to thank United fans for supporting him today.

Liverpool should have a long hard look at themselves, including their fans. The way they’ve handled themselves has been disgraceful. From laughable club statements, t-shirts and now today with Kenny Daglish refusing to comment on the situation. People sharpened their knifes when Fergie induced a media black out for a few weeks last season, after he spoke his mind. Kenny should get the same treatment.

I’ve watched nearly every game Patrice Evra has played for United. I’ve rarely ever seen him lose his cool, on and off the pitch. But, that day at Anfield I knew something rattled him, taunting the Liverpool crowd was very out of character. Yes, he has made comments about clubs before – Arsenal fans will be the first to tell you – but to kiss the badge in front of opposing fans I’ve never seen him do.

I honestly believe a sports blog should focus on just that, the sport. I don’t care what x, y or z does in his spare time. It’s one of the main reasons Paul Scholes is my all time favorite player. Come in and does his job and then goes home. But, the way Evra has been labelled by Liverpool fans is disgraceful. Patrice Evra has taken the time to learn about United’s history, so I think it’s only right United fans should take the time to back him up.

Luis Suarez has been proven guilty. The panel had access to more than what I, you or any member of the public had. It wasn’t just simply a case of one man’s word against another’s word.

Always the victim, it’s never your fault.

]]>https://ryandunny.wordpress.com/2012/02/11/how-is-evra-the-antagonist/feed/0ryandunnyNewcastle United 3-0 Manchester United.https://ryandunny.wordpress.com/2012/01/05/newcastle-united-3-0-manchester-united/
https://ryandunny.wordpress.com/2012/01/05/newcastle-united-3-0-manchester-united/#respondThu, 05 Jan 2012 20:51:19 +0000http://we-are-united.com/?p=922]]>I am fucking annoyed. I mean after the debacle against Blackburn we respond with this? In less than a week we went from having a chance to steal a lead on Manchester City to being three points behind and -11 on goal difference. We didn’t deserve to lose three-nil last night, but we didn’t deserve anything either. I remember thinking throughout the game: ‘This is Manchester United, we are going to still win, we don’t give up”, but bar Rooney’s shot cleared off the line we had absolutely nothing.

Why is it, that our front six either all play well, or all play terrible? Is there something in the fucking water? It seems as one minute there drinking bloody holy water next minute there all bloody hungover on whiskey. I thought Wayne Rooney’s punishment was harsh for having a meal after boxing day, but after seeing his useless performance last night SAF was dead right, again. One thing SAF isn’t right on, however, is our squad. We need a bloody midfielder. Actually no, we need two bloody midfielders. And I am not talking about this pish-posh ‘Attacking Midfielders’ or wingers who are handy in midfielder, I am talking about two predominate central midfielders. Luka Modric and Cheik Tiote for example. Put those two players together and teams would be soiling their pants just reading the team sheet.

We our heavily reliant on Rooney to come up with the goods. Look at the 2008 team, Rooney was Ronaldo’s sidekick. A brilliant sidekick yes, but he allowed Ronaldo to be brilliant and when he wasn’t, Rooney would step in. Rooney has Nani to sidekick him, but your never quite sure with Nani. Ashley Young, Antonio Valencia, Javier Hernandez, Danny Welbeck and Dimitar Berbatov are all very good players, but they aren’t world class. Let’s compare this class to the 2008 one:

Goal: Van der Saar vs David de Gea or Anders Lindegaard – I think both of our keepers are very good, I think de Gea will be great, but Van der Saar wins this hands down. 2008

Defence: Brown-Vidic-Ferdinand-Evra vs Valencia/Jones/Smalling/Rafael/Fabio -Vidic-Ferdinand-Evra – On the surface looks pretty similar, but we haven’t had a settled back four all season. Patrice and Rio have declined and Vidic is out for the season. 2008

Midfield: Hargreaves-Scholes-Carrick vs Carrick-Cleverley – Carrick has actually gotten back to his best in the last few months, but Cleverley isn’t Scholes and we haven’t replaced Hargreaves. 2008

Forwards: Ronaldo-Tevez-Rooney vs Nani-Rooney-Hernandez-Young – Ronaldo, Tevez and Rooney were frightening that season, and while on their day our current forwards are breathtaking, they lack 2008’s consistency. They don’t have Ronaldo either. 2008

So 2008 team wins convincingly. But, like I said before our team is in transition. However, I can’t honestly seeing them reaching 2008’s standard without some much needed investment. Ravel Morrison, Paul Pogba and Ryan Tunnicliffe aren’t ready to play 40+ games a season for the first team yet. They won’t be for awhile. It’s bollux to think if we sign a player they won’t progress, absolutely tosh. If there good enough, they’ll get into the team. Look at Jack Wilshere, he got into an Arsenal team with Cesc Fabregas and Samir Nasri already covering his position.

It’s annoying to think right now, we have two fit midfielders who are actually central midfielders. We are only going to get one more back this season when Cleverley returns, we have to hope that Fletcher comes back at all. I know it’s difficult to sign someone in January, but it’s not impossible. This time last year West Ham signed Demba Ba – who destroyed us last night. We might have to pay a bit extra, but if the Glazers are true to their word, this should be no problem at all. Our club pumps in a staggering amount of money, surely we can indulge ourselves? Seeing Ji-Sung Park and Rafael on Saturday was diabolical.

Despite all the negatives, I still think were going to beat City on Sunday. Funny old game isn’t it?